Babur Garden Travel Guide

Bagh-e Babur, also known as the Gardens of Babur, is a significant historical site located on the slopes of the Kuh-e Sher Darwaza mountain, southwest of Kabul's old city [5, 6]. Covering approximately 11.5 hectares, the garden is arranged into 15 terraces along an east-west axis [6]. Founded by Mughal Emperor Babur in the early 16th century, it is considered one of the earliest surviving Mughal gardens [6, 17].Babur, a passionate gardener, designed the garden as a place for recreation and pleasure [6, 10]. He was so fond of Kabul's climate that he wished to be buried there [10]. After his death in Agra in 1530, his remains were moved to Bagh-e Babur around 1544 [6, 10]. Over time, the garden became a place of veneration for the Mughal dynasty [6]. Subsequent rulers, such as Jahangir and Shah Jahan, contributed to its development, adding walls, a prayer platform, a mosque, and a marble screen around Babur's tomb [5, 6].Throughout its history, Bagh-e Babur has undergone periods of decay and restoration [6, 10]. In the late 19th century, Amir Abdur Rahman Khan redesigned the gardens, incorporating European influences [4, 6]. The garden was opened to the public in the 1930s [2, 4, 17]. During the Afghan Civil War (1992-1996), it suffered heavy damage [5]. However, between 2002 and 2004, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture undertook a restoration project, generating nearly 100,000 workdays for skilled and unskilled laborers [2, 5]. Today, the garden features terraced buildings, a small mosque, and ample walking space, attracting locals and foreign tourists [5]. Visitors can explore the landscaped gardens, which include diverse trees, plants, flowers, water channels, and fountains [7]. The centerpiece is the white marble tomb of Emperor Babur [7, 9].